I was just contemplating this one myself. Given how uninspired Haywood's play has been in the preseason--and dating back to his "I just work here" comment last season--plus the really strong play of Chandler, Mahinmi & Ajinca, I'm starting to wonder if we shouldn't just dump him while we can. Butler, too, just doesn't seem to be living up to expectations. So how about this:
Butler + Haywood
for
Arenas + cash/picks
The Wiz do it to get a real center and to get Caron's expiring (back). They hopefully throw in cash or picks given that we'd be saving them $30MM over the life of the contracts.
Why might the Mavs do it?
Putting aside for the moment his injury and gun problems (I know, hard to do)--Arenas was, a few years back, one of the top offensive guards in the NBA. If he could return to that form--perhaps in a new setting?--he'd be a nice fit for our continuing lack of (a) a #2 scorer, and (b) a starting 2. I think a healthy Arenas could start alongside Kidd, playing the 2 on offense, and the 1 on defense (since he's got the quickness to guard 1s, while Kidd has the size to defend 2s). Also completely solves the backup PG concern. You then have Terry as your third guard, eventually giving way to Roddy B once he's healthy. With Caron gone, Marion is firmly entrenched at the starting 3, with DoJo picking up minutes at both wing spots.
Given how down I am on Butler & Haywood right now, I view this as a deal with HUGE basketball upside, compared to $30MM of Cuban cash over five years as the downside--a bet I think I'd be willing to take, especially since it's likely that some of that incremental $30MM we'd be spending is going to get spent anyway on trying to upgrade the 2 spot and/or replace Kidd, depending on how Roddy develops and where the Mavs decide to play him.
Maybe I'm just suffering from sleep deprivation though--I haven't seen Haywood in person in quite some time, so maybe he's contributing more intangibles than his stat lines would indicate. But from where I'm sitting, Tyson Chandler looks like he should be the starter, with the two French kids duking it out for backup minutes.
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